What Does the Brady Bunch Really Want?: For readers who have long
followed the gun rights issue, today's article might not be news--it is,
after all, mostly about a bill that was introduced in the U.S. Senate 15
years ago. For folks new to the debate, though, I hope to shed an
instructive light on just where these "reasonable gun laws" are headed,
if groups like the Brady Campaign have their way... As I pointed out
yesterday, Helmke's mention of "stockpiling private arsenals" prompted
me to wonder if the Brady Campaign is now advocating limits on the total
number of firearms and/or the amount of ammunition a citizen may own.
That, in turn, reminded me that such limits would not be a new objective
for the Brady Campaign...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m5d1-What-the-Brady-Campaign-really-wants?cid=exrss-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner
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Voting with Dollars: Since November, we've been seeing stories in the
news about the record breaking retail sales levels for firearms and
accessories. Manufacturers have been unable to keep up with demand, and
many stores are now sporting empty shelves for guns and ammunition. One
additional effect of all of this is that financial investors are
starting to take notice and are predicting the trends will continue...
Anti-gun politicians would also be well advised to take heed of these
trends. American citizens are speaking with their wallets and are
sending a message that gun rights and gun ownership are an important
aspect of their lives, and there will be dire political consequences for
those who would try to take away those rights. Money spent on guns and
ammunition can also be spent on their opposition's campaigns if they
vote their agenda and not their constituent's wishes.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m5d1-Investing-in-gun-rights
Besides being the President of the United States, Barack Obama is also
being dubbed by some the gun salesman of the year. That's because since
elected, gun sales have skyrocketed nationwide including here in Eastern
Carolina. WITN headed to one firearm store in Jamesville in Martin
County where sales have jumped 70% since Obama took office. Store
managers say sales are good at Mackey's in Jamesville, which bills
itself as one of the largest firearm shops in the world. Since President
Barack Obama took office, store managers tell us their customers are
buying everything they can, in fear gun laws could change. Store manager
Charles Hayes says "Like when it snows down here, everybody buys out the
grocery store and it really doesn't make a lot of sense, same with guns.
They thought their rights were going to be infringed and so they keep
saying before my rights go away, I want to buy a handgun." In the first
three months of 2009, statistics show four million background checks
were requested nationwide, that's up 27% from the same time period in
2008. Beaufort County Sheriff's say over the past three months they've
issued about 165 purchasing permits each month, an increase over
previous months as well...
http://www.witn.com/watercooler/headlines/44049497.html
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Who Is the VPC, Part 2: ...Two people perform most of VPC's public
outreach: Executive Director Josh Sugarman and Legislative Director
Kristen Rand. Between 2003 and 2007, as revenues decreased 49.9%, both
Sugarman's and Rand's salaries increased 5.9%. But because revenues
decreased, these two top earners--each of whom earned $132,894 in salary
and $3,987 in benefits in 2007--went from 15.5% of total revenue in 2003
to 32.7% in 2007, more than doubling their slice of the pie (111.3%
increase). Having just two employees taking home about one-third of
total revenue may not be a long-term success strategy for a normal
business, but it works when normal profitability concerns don't exist.
To understand the financial circumstances of VPC, one must understand
their definition of "public support," which accounted for 91.8% of VPC's
total revenue between 2003 and 2007.And to understand VPC's "public
support," one must understand the Joyce Foundation, because VPC's
primary "public donor" is the Joyce Foundation... ("...Obama's eight
years on the board of the Joyce Foundation, which paid him more than
$70,000 in directors fees, do not in any way conflict with his
campaign-trail support for the rights of gun owners, Ben LaBolt, a
spokesman for Obama's presidential campaign, asserted in a statement
issued to Politico this week..."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9722.html)
http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m5d1-Does-Violence-Policy-Center-represent-the-People-Part-2
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GOA Responds to Orrin Hatch: Gun Owners of America today slammed Senator
Orrin Hatch for meddling in a Pennsylvania election. Senator Hatch this
week assailed the candidacy of pro-gun former Representative Pat Toomey,
claiming that Toomey could not get elected in Pennsylvania in a race
against liberal Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter. "Orrin Hatch
seems more interested in protecting his liberal anti-gun buddy Arlen
Specter than he is in electing a real pro-gun conservative," said Tim
Macy, Vice-Chairman of Gun Owners of America. Hatch also predicted that
the National Republican Senatorial Committee, of which he is vice
chairman, will not support Toomey. "Orrin Hatch needs step down from
having anything to do with NRSC because he clearly is not mirroring
Republican principles," said Mr. Macy. The person who can't win
reelection, if he keeps on the same path, is Orrin Hatch in his next
election..."
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-gun-owners-slam-orrin-hatch-for-protecting-arlen-specter
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Alaska-Carry Bill in Ohio: For the second time in two years, an area
legislator is attempting to change the concealed and carry law via a new
bill. State Rep. John Adams, R-Sidney, last week introduced House Bill
129 -- a measure that seeks to change the current concealed and carry
law. The proposal would not require residents who are legally allowed to
carry, possess and purchase firearms to obtain a permit to do so. Other
changes include stripping the stipulation requiring permit holders to
carry the permit while carrying a firearm as well as informing
approaching law enforcement officials that a person is carrying a
concealed weapon...
http://www.theeveningleader.com/content/view/131234/1/
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6660
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Upstate New Yorkers Oppose Re-Licensing Bill: State legislation that
would require renewal of pistol permits every five years was blasted in
Batavia Thursday as another bureaucratic restriction that would burden
upstate New Yorkers and do nothing to cut down on crime. "This is just
another way to raise revenue for New York,'' state Sen. Michael
Ranzenhofer said during a pre-noon news conference outside the old
county courthouse at Main and Ellicott streets... Assemblyman Stephen
Hawley, R-Batavia, said creating more laws does nothing to people who
don't abide by the laws. "That's why them call them outlaws,'' he said.
You're not going to see criminals renewing their permits, Ranzenhofer
said. "They don't have a permit to begin with.'' ...Sheriff Gary Maha
said the proposed renewal law lacks specifics and could have an adverse
impact on his office that does background checks on applicants for
pistol permits and on the county Clerk's Office that has to process the
applications...
http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2009/05/01/news/5451360.txt
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Neighbors Oppose New Range in Alaska: A shooting range planned for the
end of the Maud Road extension has a group of local residents up in
arms. The range is one of two included in the Knik River Public Use Area
Plan passed in September of 2008 after a two-year public process. The
area has a long history of target shooting, said Dave Griffin of the
Department of Natural Resources. The intent of the ranges is to
concentrate the target shooting into two safe areas, one at the end of
Maud Road and one off of Sullivan Road... In response, the Butte Area
Residents Civic Organization is fighting back. They have filled an
appeal with the Superior Court asking the DNR to address their concerns
by starting the public use plan over, said Brit Lively, one of the
organizers of the opposition...
http://frontiersman.com/articles/2009/05/01/local_news/doc49fa6a5547b15152308449.txt
Fired Lead Causes Few Problems:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041104005801.htm
---
Oops, Wrong House: A woman whose house was being burglarized is believed
to have shot one of the three men caught in her home early Thursday. The
woman arrived at her home in northeast Columbia and found that her back
door had been kicked open, according to a release from the Columbia
Police Department. Inside, she found three men robbing her house. She
left the house, and the men followed her. She told police that one of
the men had a handgun and pointed it at her. She fired one round at the
men, the release stated. Investigators collected evidence that led them
to believe that one suspect was shot. Though local hospitals were
notified, there were no suspects at the time of the news release...
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/04/30/burlary-victim-shoots-suspect/
---
From AzCDL:
First, some good news. HCM 2009, a House Memorial that encourages the
U.S. Congress to oppose the passage of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing
and Record of Sale Act of 2009, or any similar legislation, that would
impinge on the individual right of every American to keep and bear arms,
passed out of the House Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS)
committee on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. The vote was 5-0 with 3 members
absent.
Meanwhile, non-budget legislation in the Arizona Senate remains at a
standstill while the legislature continues to hammer out the 2010
budget. And now, we are hearing that the after they are through with
the budget, many legislators are planning to pack up and go home,
basically shutting down the legislature for the year. That will
effectively kill all remaining non-budget bills.
We believe that it's time to let EVERY legislator know that the voters
of Arizona want them to finish the job that we are paying them to do,
and to dismiss any ideas of ending the session after they fix the budget
mess that they helped create.
We urge everyone to contact every member of the Arizona Legislature, and
politely tell them that you expect them to remain in session until all
pending legislation that they have been neglecting during the "budget
crisis" is properly processed. A personal letter is always best. Below
is a cut-and-paste template you may use as an example. Following the
sample letter are the email addresses of the entire legislature in both
semi-colon and comma separated formats. Use the one compatible with
your email software.
Subject: Unfinished legislative business.
It has come to my attention that there is talk among your colleagues at
the Capitol of going home and effectively ending the current legislative
session after the "budget crisis" is resolved, thereby abandoning all
other pending legislation. I find that unacceptable.
You campaigned for, and were elected to, your position in the
legislature to conduct all the legislative business of the people of
Arizona. The current "budget crisis" was created at the legislature.
The voters of Arizona should not suffer due to the poor planning or lack
of preparedness of their elected Representatives. I respectfully insist
that you complete the work that you were elected to do, and remain in
session until all pending legislation is properly processed.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Street Address
City, State and zip code
telephone number
The following is a list of the Arizona Legislature in both semi-colon
and comma separated formats. Use the one that is compatible with your
email software.
Semi-colon format:
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
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Comma format:
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
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[email protected]
Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via
these Alerts.
These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League
(AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization.
AzCDL - Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html
Copyright � 2009 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights
reserved.
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
